5 days agoMember-onlyAngel in the CenterfoldHugh Hefner, Harvey Weinstein and the real-life damage of male fantasy — [With the recent spate of sexual assault scandals among the likes of Danny Masterson and Russell Brand, it seemed like a good time to repost this article and the things I learned about how power works in the entertainment…Sexual Assault12 min readSexual Assault12 min read
Sep 10Member-onlyThe Empire Strikes BackWhen foundations start to crack — The other week it was really hot here in Berlin, so I decided to cool off by taking a dip in one of Berlin‘s many lakes. Believe it or not, Berlin is full of forests and parks and lakes, which are popular destinations for swimming, boating, and water sports. The…Berlin7 min readBerlin7 min read
Aug 20Member-onlyAndrew Tate and the Stats1 in 4 young men agree with Tate’s views on women; 1 in 3 women will become victims of violence. Coincidence? — A recent study showed that one and four young men believe that the misogynistic things Andrew Tate says about women are valid and should be followed. The controversial social media influencer promotes a version of “masculinity” that is rooted in violent misogyny and racism, and toxic behavior.Misogyny6 min readMisogyny6 min read
Aug 13Member-onlyThe EndClosing a 23-year old story. — After several years of not being able to make myself take an important step, in January this year I finally did it: I requested a copy of the police report from the attack I survived in July 2000. Last Tuesday, it arrived. Let me give you some background. I’ve written…Violence Against Women6 min readViolence Against Women6 min read
Aug 11Medium Day SessionsJoin me for a talk about trusting yourself & an #AMA session! — I’ve been publishing on Medium since 2016, and when the call for talks and sessions for Medium Day appeared in my in-box, I was thrilled to be able to participate! I’ll be giving two sessions on Medium Day and I hope you join me! 11:00am EST / 5:00pm CEST Balancing Act: How To Learn To Trust Yourself Before you can find your voice…Medium Day2 min readMedium Day2 min read
Aug 2Member-only10 Things I Loved About the Barbie MovieAnd the one thing I didn’t [Warning: SPOILERS!] — Here are the 10 things I loved most about the Barbie Movie, in no particular order. If you haven’t seen the movie yet, stop reading here. But if you have seen it, well… if you know, you know ;)Barbie3 min readBarbie3 min read
Jul 30Why we feel so bad about Sinéad O’ConnorWhat happens when we lose our truth-teller? — The sudden passing of Sinéad O’Connor last week has been gut-wrenching, not only for her fans, but for fans of protest, of courage, of speaking truth to power. For GenXers, we are about the same age as Sinéad, and were also in our early to mid 20s when she first…Sinead O Connor5 min readSinead O Connor5 min read
Jul 24Member-onlyPink MoneyThe illogic of gendered capitalism — This past weekend, the Barbie movie opened around the world and the box office numbers are already in. The movie grossed $337 million worldwide, and became the biggest opening weekend box office for a film based on a toy. The movie outperformed its opening weekend competitor, the film Oppenheimer. And…Barbie5 min readBarbie5 min read
Jul 9Member-onlyThe Myth of the Second LocationWhy one of the most popular self defense rules is not realistic for women — There’s a self defense and security expert named Gavin de Becker, who has written a book called The Gift of Fear. It’s a great book, actually, and there’s a lot in it that I really appreciate and that I myself have learned from. But there’s also a lot in it…Travel6 min readTravel6 min read
Jun 25Member-onlyDocumenting Gender-Based Violence in Crisis ZonesOur mobility API HALO x Community-intel app Ehtesab — Women living in domestic violence environments in Afghanistan no longer have help lines to call or shelters to escape to; they are literally living at the mercy of their abusers and have no recourse for safety. Furthermore, aid workers have no way to document abuse or reach victims for incident…Violence Against Women4 min readViolence Against Women4 min read